Wrong Way
by puppetmonkey5562
Summary: When Kira's mother dies she is forced to live with her evil stepfather and her wicked stepbrothers. The social pyramid of highschool is turned upside down when popular Rei and Kira the social outcast fall in love. They bring out the best in eachother wh
1. Starless Nights

Disclaimer- I don't own Mars or the characters from this manga.  
  
Summary- He's a playboy who's carefree and takes advantage of his father's riches because it's what's expected of him. She endures life with her stepfather and several evil stepbrothers because she has to. Through each other they find themselves.  
  
Chapter 1.0- Starless Night  
  
The cool crisp night air whipped Rei's skin brutally and sent his hair swishing in every direction as the jet black corvette convertible sped down the road. He sat in the back sea with his head resting on the head rest and his arms stretched wide open. Although it was his car he didn't mind letting his best friend Tatsuya drive it while Tatsuya's girlfriend Harumi sat in the passenger's seat.  
  
"I'll take you on a ride in the back seat of this car for a twenty," cooed a voluptuous scantily clad woman when they pulled up at the red stop light.  
  
Rei looked up, only to see two large breasts pointing proudly in his face. They could not be contained by the polyester of her outfit. It was the small girl in the background that caught his eyes, not her large breasts. The tiny girl appeared no older than sixteen and wore a spandex mini skirt that barely covered her bottom and a sequin bra. Her arms were crossed against her stomach in an effort to cover up as much of her as possible. He watched silently as a man; who looked obviously much over fifty; grabbed her arm and pulled her into a ally way. The car pulled up a few more feet and Rei could see her get on her knees and could watch no longer.  
  
"How's about you baby? You look like you could use a little something something," said the woman to Tatsuya this time.  
  
He ogled her assets as she ran her claw like fingernails through his short hair.  
  
"Get out of here you skank! Why don't you get a real job and stop trying to sleep with people's boyfriends," Harumi snapped, turning up his window with the button on her armrest.  
  
"'Get a job'- that was a bit uncalled for wasn't it Harumi? Everyone's gotta earn a living someway right? It's a viable profession supply destitute men with something highly in demand, sex," he said in his best impression of a scholarly voice.  
  
"Whatever Tatsuya. You can spin it any way you want but they're all disgusting beasts. They spread venereal diseases and all other kinds of disgusting things," she said, her pouty Clinique lip glossed lips shining in the streetlight.  
  
"Nah, the rain washes all that away," Tatsuya answered as he made a sharp right.  
  
She gasped and turned to look at him. "You can't seriously think that!?"  
  
Tatsuya laughed, happy to have gotten a rise out of her.  
  
Rei tilted his head back and gazed up at the sky. Not a star could be seen through the smog and pollution that had collected over the years. His thoughts traveled back to the girl he'd seen standing against the building. He didn't want to believe that such a young innocent looking girl could be a prostitute, but he knew it was true. He remembered seeing a movie or documentary about a teen girl who sold her body to fund an addiction, she wound up dead. He wondered if she was in the same predicament, or was being pimped by a controlling boyfriend, was homeless and had to do that to buy food and clothes, or perhaps she was a single mother who dropped out of high school to raise her children and a nine to five shift at MsDonald's wasn't enough to keep a roof over their heads.  
  
"Rei! Hey Rei snap out f it!" Tatsuya was leaning into the car and dangling the keys in Rei's face.  
  
Rei blinked a few times to ge the sleep out of his eyes and reached out to ge this keys.  
  
"No way man you look wasted. Let me drive you home," Tatsuya said, gasping Rei's keys in his hand and jumping back into the driver's seat.  
  
Rei laughed. "You just want to drive my car some more."  
  
Tatsuya smiled and glanced at Rei through the rear view mirror. You're just mad about you're lack of game at the Chrome dice tonight. Not only did you fail to get the brunette to go home with you but you were almost turned away at the bar!" he chuckled as he relived the scene in his head.  
  
"Don't even get me started on that bartender!" he said as he used a rubber band to keep his hair out of his eyes.  
  
"Doesn't he know that the only ID you need is you're father's business card?" Tatsuya added.  
  
Rei said nothing. He knew the effect his father's millions had on his life and the way people saw him. He also knew that Tatsuya sometimes was jealous of him and felt a little resentment towards him. Tatsuya was the eldest of a large family and had two hardworking parents and yet he still had to work on weekends and after school to pay for utilities.  
  
"Here you are, home sweet home," Tatsuya said as he pulled into Rei's four car garage.  
  
"Thanks," Rei said as he got out and locked up the car. "Wanna sleep over or should I call a cab for you?"  
  
"No thanks, I can walk home from here. See you on Monday," he replied as he walked down the driveway towards the sidewalk.  
  
Rei turned around and walked to his house. It was behind his father's two story mansion. Where Rei lived was really a maid's quarters, but his father gave it to him as his seventeenth birthday party. He had many parties there since then, further establishing his throne at his high school. He was the heartthrob, quarterback, homecoming king of three years; each year with a new queen. All these things he did not because he wanted to but because it was what was expected of him. After screwing around in high school he'd have his father put in a good word for him at the prestigious college all his uncles and grandfather's father's went to, he'd join the fraternity started by his ancestors and take over his father's company.  
  
He shed his clothes on the floor as he made his way to the bathroom, leaving a trail of socks, shoes, a shirt, jeans and boxers behind. After a short shower he toweled off and gazed into the mirror after brushing his teeth. He asked himself how he could have such a beautiful face with an ugly personality, or how he had such a perfect body when he had so many flaws. He walked to his bed, picking up his clothes and throwing them in his hamper, not missing a single shot. He climbed into bed and got comfortable. He caught a glimpse of his alarm clock, it was the earliest he'd gone to sleep in weeks.  
  
A/N- Yay, I'm done with my first chapter. I wrote it in one night, perhaps you can tell by the length. I'm proud of this chapter and have good expectations for the chapter. I've mapped it all out and promise that you wont be disappointed with the ending. Please review and I might continue ::laughs:: I'll write more chapters either way, but I'd really like it if you'd review. 


	2. What's Your Name?

Disclaimer: Blah blah -MARS not mine- more chitter -it belongs to- blah blah - -insert something clever here-.  
  
Summary- He's a playboy who's carefree and takes advantage of his father's riches because it's what's expected of him. She endures life with her stepfather and several evil stepbrothers because she has to. Through each other they find themselves.  
  
Response to Reviews-  
  
Chapter 2.0 What's Your Name?  
  
Rei speeded into the school parking lot, swerving left and right to avoid running over students and knocking over flower pots. After making a lap around the lot and finding nothing, he decided to venture into the teacher's section of the parking lot. There was only one spot left, and underneath the sign that read 'Faculty Parking Only' the words 'Reserved for Mr. Takanaki' were written in small red letters. He groaned loudly, of all the spots that were open, why did it have to be Mr. Takanaki. Mr. Takanaki was the only teacher who did not care about Rei's background and would fail him on the spot without any reservations.  
  
The digital clock on his cd and radio player now read eight twenty and he knew he was really running out of time. He looked left and right, checking for any witnesses and then pulled in and parked his car. On his way up the stairs, through the lobby and down the hall he threw winks, waved, and offered nods of recognition to many people. He came to a halt when he was in front of his biology class, his first class of the day. He carefully peered through the window in the door to see where his teacher was and to see where the nearest open seat was. When the teacher's back was to the door he opened it and walked in quietly, hoping to get a seat before the teacher noticed.  
  
"Good morning Mr. Kashino," said the teacher right when he was five steps away from his destination- five steps away to safety.  
  
"Good morning Ms. Takemura," he answered, giving her his pearliest and most innocent looking smile. "I'm terribly sorry for walking in late and disrupting the class but-"  
  
"Oh think nothing of it Rei, it was no disruption. I'm sure that there's a good reason for you being late isn't there?" she said as she walked over and handed him the paper's he'd need to follow along with that day's lesson.  
  
"There is," Rei said with a hearty nod.  
  
"Good."  
  
"Man Rei, do you have any idea of the effect you have on teachers?!" said one of his classmates after the bell rang.  
  
Rei shrugged as he packed his few books into his backpack. "What are you talking about?" he asked, knowing the answer but not wanting to sound conceited.  
  
"Dude, last week I walked into class three minutes late for the first time all year and she gave me a weeks detention and a letter home. You walk in a half an hour late for the third time this month and she does nothing!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
"I guess I'm just lucky," Rei said, getting tired of this conversation fast.  
  
The short boy laughed. "She's probably on you're dad's payroll or something," was the last thing he said to Rei before walking through the door and walking down the hallway.  
  
Rei walked down the hall slowly, hoping to see a cute girl or one of his friends so that he'd have an excuse not to go to his next class. He spotted the face of the small girl he saw on the street a few nights ago and couldn't believe his eyes. He didn't think that she was in school, let alone his school. Without thinking he walked up to her touched her arm.  
  
She stopped, at him from over her shoulder and kept on walking. She watched her feet, and the feet of other's walking around her, hoping that he'd take the hint and leave her alone.  
  
"You! Hey, you with the blonde hair! I'm trying to talk to you," he called after her as she began to pick up her pace. Rei wondered why he even bothered to talk to her. He followed her all the way outside of the buildings and into the parking lot, completely forgetting about his next class. "Hey, what's you're problem?" he asked, grabbing her arm.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked, turning to face him. She stared him down with her large doe like brown eyes which held no warmth.  
  
"I don't know... What's you're name?" he asked her, letting go of her arm when he was certain she wouldn't run.  
  
Her chapped lips curved downwards into a frown and she took a step away from the tall boy. "I don't... I don't work at school," she said simply.  
  
Rei looked at her quizzically for a few moments and then remembered where he'd first seen her and understood. "No, nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you. I'm Rei, and you are?"  
  
"I know who you are," she said simply. "What do you want?" she asked again.  
  
"I just want to talk to you, I guess... What's you're name I told you mine," he said as they began to walk side by side.  
  
"I didn't ask for your name," she replied quietly.  
  
Rei smiled a bit as he looked down at her. He wasn't used to having to try so hard to get a girls name and for some strange reason it entertained him. "True, but it's the polite thing to do. What am I going to call you if I don't know you're name?" he asked.  
  
"What everybody else calls me I suppose," she replied, a soft gust of wind causing her pigtails to flutter about. She stopped walking and looked up at him, her bangs shading her eyes from his view.  
  
"What would that be?" he asked, noticing how conservative she dressed during the day. Her small frame was clad in roomy knee length khaki shorts, a dark blue polo shirt and white tennis.  
  
"I thought everybody knew," she said, her head tilting to one side.  
  
"I'm not everybody, and I don't listen to rumors," he said as he continued to walk, expecting her to continue along side him.  
  
She paused for a few moments and then followed after him. "So, you don't know?" she asked, pausing in-between words.  
  
"I've heard that there's a... well you know, at the school but I figured that they were just speaking figuratively, and I wouldn't have guessed that it was you. I don't care about that and what people say. I want to know you," he said. Rei could have kicked himself. Why was he saying these things? Why did he care what she thought of him. What was this feeling coming over him? What was this desperate need to know who she was and what she was all about?  
  
She didn't know what to say to him. She was used to fending off guys who heard about what she does for money and wanted to get something out of her too. She was accustomed to the dirty looks she got from cheerleaders, but never before had someone, especially one as attractive as Rei approached her and wanted to know more about her. "There's nothing interesting to learn about me," she said, avoiding eye contact.  
  
"That's not true. I like to believe that everybody has a story to tell," Rei said, walking a little closer to her. "What's you're name?"  
  
She looked up at him with wide uncertain eyes and opened her mouth to speak. She closed it again, and finally said "Kira, my name is Kira."  
  
He nodded and smiled at her. "Hey my car is right over there, do you want to go and get something to eat?" he asked.  
  
She looked over at his car and shook her head. "No thank you," she said, warming up to him a bit, but still unsure of his intentions.  
  
Rei's smile faltered, but he caught it in time. Part of him was still in shock that he'd been turned down. "Okay, maybe I'll see you later?" he asked, hoping she'd say yes.  
  
"Maybe," she said before sneaking away from him.  
  
Rei watched her as she made her way back to the building and went into his car after she was out of sight. He sat in the driver's seat and took a nap. Rei was jolted out of his peaceful rest when he felt a splash of cold water on his head.  
  
"What the-!" he began, but settled down when he spotted Tatsuya leaning over the side of his car. "You could have just tapped me or something," he muttered instead.  
  
"That's what I've been doing for like the last twelve minutes!" he exclaimed, jumping over the side and into the passenger's seat. "Where have you been?"  
  
"Oh... I was sleepy so I came out here to take a nap," he said, digging into his pockets for his car keys.  
  
"That was a long nap, you missed lunch," Tatsuya replied.  
  
"What period is it now?" Rei asked looking at his wrist, and then remembering that he left it on his dresser.  
  
Tatsuya laughed. "School was over five minutes ago," he answered.  
  
"Oh shit, are you serious?" he said, sighing deeply. Rei took the keys in his hands and started his car. He pulled out and drove out of the parking lot, the radio blasting as he did this. As he drove he spotted a familiar red car behind him. At the next red light it pulled up next to his car and rolled down the window.  
  
"Where were you today Mr. Kashino?" asked the driver.  
  
Rei turned and looked in shock, it was Mr. Takemura! "I uh..." the light went green and there was no more reason to make up excuses. He took the opportunity to drive off, making many turns to make sure that his teacher wouldn't follow him home. "I'm so screwed," he said with a sigh, he knew he'd have to sort things out tomorrow.  
  
A/N- Yay, I'm done with another chapter! Kira and Rei meet at last. Perhaps Rei was a bit too outgoing, but I guess it wasn't too OOC. I had fun writing this one, it's always fun to feel out the characters and to get the plot going. I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. This summer I'm working on improving my writing skills so if anything is wrong please tell me! Be brutally honest in your reviews, but flame me and die! Hehehe... constructive criticism people. See you at the next chapter! 


	3. Tonight's Your Night

Disclaimer- ::Sigh:: These are so pointless, if I owned Mars I wouldn't be writing this now would I?

Kira kept her eyes on the pavement below her as she walked home. She always walked with her head pointed downwards, her overgrown bangs shading her deep brown eyes fro the world. Teachers often asked her hey she walked the way she did, telling her that it was dangerous and she'd bump into things. In her head it was far more dangerous to look anywhere but the ground. If she looked up she risked eye contact with someone,possibly one of her obnoxious classmates. Eye contact only provoked painful sessions of harassment.

The loud ear piercing screeching of a speeding vehicle stopped her dead in her tracks as the nauseating smell of burning rubber invaded her nostrils. She looked for the source and spotted a raven black convertible fishtail and drive down a side street, Kira recognized it as Rei's car. Memories of their conversation, if it could actually be called that since she barely spoke to him, flooded her thoughts. Although the tiny voice in the back of her head warned her not to make much of it she still felt flattered. Somebody, Rei Kashino, wanted to know more about her. The smile fled her face as quickly as it appeared when a bright red pick up truck slowed down beside her. She picked up her pace but it did no good.

"Hey I've got some spare change! You can have it if you flash us!" called out a buff guy who sat in the passengers seat. He leaned out the window and held his arm out towards her, jingling the coins in his hand.

Kira clenched her eyes shut and closed her trembling fingers into a fist. She could deal with them taunting her, she always did. She just hoped hat they'd get bored and leave her alone soon.

"Aw come on, all right I'll throw in a dollar too!" called one of them in the second row of seats.

The light turned green and they all burst out in laughter. The one holding out the change threw them at her feet and they drove off.

She opened her eyes and glared at the back of the car. She saw her school's logo on a bumper sicker and knew that they were from her school.

By the time she reached her house her feet were aching. She wanted nothing more than to rest, but she knew it wouldn't be possible. She opened the battered fence that was desperately in need of a new coat of paint and took a few steps to the front door. She opened it and grimaced when she stepped inside. Not much could be seen, the house was dim and the dusty curtains drawn shut. The only light that reached inside came through patches in the curtains. The acrid smell of cigarettes and beer filled her nostrils and caused bile to rise in her throat. It was wondrous how her stepbrothers could make such a mess of the house, if it even be called that, after she spent an entire night cleaning it from top to bottom.

"'Bout time ya got home! I'm hungry and you didn't leave 'nuff food for lunch!"

Kira dropped her bag at the door and left her shoes there too. She went into the kitchen, watching the ground for shards of glass/ "I'm sorry Keitaro," she apologized to her eldest stepbrother. She opened the fridge door and found only empty beer bottles and a bag of peanuts.

"This is all there is," she said, presenting the bag to him meekly.

He looked up at her through long black greasy strands of hair. "What the fuck do you mean this is it?" he roared, slapping the bag of peanuts out of her hands.

She jumped away from him and her eyes grew wide with fear. It appeared that he was drunk, and when he was drunk he became treacherous and violent. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, stepping away from him once more.

"I'm s fuckin sick of hearing 'sorry'!" he growled, reaching out and grabbing one of her braided pigtails. He held her so close that she could feel his hot breath on her face. "Do something about it!" he snapped, slapping her hard against her cheek. The rings on his fingers drew blood.

She fell and bumped into a tower of beer cans.

"Aw shit look what you did!" complained one of her stepbrothers. "I worked on that for an hour!"

"Clean up this place while you're at it, it looks like shit," Keitaro added, kicking her in the side in passing.

She clenched her teeth and sucked in her tears. She couldn't give her step brothers the satisfaction of seeing her cry. After the pain in her side subsided she got up and began to pick up the mess around the house. She didn't see the use of cleaning anymore. She did it everyday, yet each time she came home from school it was a mess again. She had four stepbrothers, none of which worked or attended school and none of them cared to lift a finger around the house. She rose a hand to her cheek and winced. It would making money difficult that night

The sun went down before she could get much down and se changed into her 'work uniform.' That night she sported what she hoped would earn her enough money to please her stepfather. She wore a bright pink bra, a matching thong, black bottomless tights and platform shoes. Her stepfather probably spent more money on her nightwear than her school clothes. She then walked out to her usual spot.

Kira stood on the corner and leaned against a no parking sign. The dim street lamp washed over her body. She stood with her hands on her hips and tried to look as approachable as possible. In the moon light it was like she became a different person.

A car pulled up beside her and the window nearest to the curb rolled down.

"How much for a blow job?" asked the young driver.

She thought of her swollen cheek and said "I can't tonight, is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked him sweetly.

"Wanna stroke it for me?" he asked.

She nodded and got into the car as several other women glared at her. Kira wound up being a favorite because of her youth.

Hours later she walked through the front door of her home again and saw her stepfather sitting on the milk crate next to the kitchen table.

"So, what did you make" he asked greedily. He was a short pudgy man with deep sunken eyes and a receding hairline.

"My mouth was sore because Keitaro hit me-"

"You mean your mouth is sore because you did something stupid so Keitaro gave you the slap you deserved," he corrected her, in his eyes his sons could do no wrong.

"She hung her head low and sighed. "So I only made fifty dollars," she told him, taking the bills out of the waist line of her tights and putting it on the table.

"Fifty dollars!? I work my ass off to keep a roof over your head and clothes on your back, i gave you a home when nobody else wanted a thing to do with you. I ask you to help me out a bit and this is the best you can do?!" he cried out in anger, throwing the money in her face. "Get out of my sight you filthy whore, you disgust me."

She turned away and took a quick shower, careful not to waste too much of the hot water. She changed into a pair of jeans that were badly faded with age and a polo shirt. She sat in a corner closest to the window with hopes of catching enough light to read from her textbooks.

When she woke up a few hours later barely any of her homework was completed. She groaned knowing that her teachers were going to give her hell again today. The daily excuse of 'I forgot' was getting her nowhere fast and she was at risk of not graduating.

In a huff she told herself that it didn't matter and packed her books into her bag pack and rushed out the door. If she left early she eliminated the chance of her brothers hassling her for breakfast.

The sky was a beautiful and pure shade, not a cloud was in sight and the sun began to peak out above the roofs of houses. Dew still stuck to the blades of grass and the air retained the sweet smell of water. She just hoped that today would be better than the last. She took her time and arrived at school ten minutes after the first bell rang, it was the earliest she'd gotten to school all week. She mentally slapped herself, gathered her things and exiting the school building.

Once out of the building she walked towards the parking lot where she thought she'd be least likely to be caught. From the corner of her eye she saw Rei's convertible pull up into the empty parking space closest to her. She looked up at him and watched as he pulled out the key, grabbed his bag and got out of the car. Her instincts were telling her to run and to avoid all contact with him but her feet refused to move.

"Hey," he said casually as he strode over to her, causing a deep red blush to creep upon her cheeks. He plucked out a box of cigarettes from his front jacket pocket, lit one and placed it between his lips. "Want one?" he asked, holding the box out to her.

She shook her head.

He shrugged and put it back into his pocket. "What happened here? Who did this to you?" he asked her, reaching out and ever so gently touching her swollen cheek.

She jumped away at his touch and her hand flew up to her cheek. "I... uh..."

He looked at his still outstretched hand, feeling insulted. "It's not like I'm dirty or something.... I remembered to bathe this morning," he said, springing back from the injury. "So tell me, what happened?"

Kira looked up at him with the eyes of a deer caught in a trucker's headlights. "I fell."

"Off a roof?" he asked with a chuckle. "Really Kira, who did this? Do you need help with this person. I've got no brains but I've got tons of brawn. Say the word and I'll kick his-"

"No, there's nothing you can do," she said quickly.

He lowered his hand and let is hang at his side. "You sure?" he asked.

She nodded.

"If you wont tell me who, at least tell me what happened. That's a pretty nasty blow," he told her. Her entire face looked lopsided.

"It's nothing, um my stepbrother did it," she sputtered.

"You're stepbrother hit you!?" he could feel his blood begin to boil. There was no excuse for hitting a woman.

"No, I mean, it's not his fault!" she said after sensing his growing anger.

"You mean you ran into his fist?" he asked sarcastically.

She sighed, it seemed that there was no talking him into anything. "I had it coming," she told him, remembering her step-father's words.

"There's nothing you could have done to deserve that," he said softly as he looked over the damage. He reached out and stroked her other cheek before he knew what he was doing.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. His hands were surprisingly soft and she hadn't been touched so gently in a long time. She liked the way it felt.

"You Rei!" called one of his friends. He dropped his hand and stepped away from Kira. "Hey," he said with a wave.

Kira snapped out of it and resumed staring at the floor.

"So, uh what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in class?" she replied.

"Um, I can't go to class," she replied.

"Ditto, I woke up late and I don't feel like putting up with shit from the teacher," he answered although she didn't ask. "Wanna go somewhere? There's some time left to the bell," he offered.

She looked at him skeptically. "Um..."

"Just to hang out," he assured her, holding his hands to his chest like he was wounded. "Not all guys are as sleazy as you think!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You're not sleazy at all it's just that-"

"A lot of people try to take advantage of you. I understand," he said with a nod. "So you wanna hang out or not?" he asked her.

"Okay," she said as she followed him around the building. They walked behind a thick line of bushes until they finally reached the back of the school.

"It's the loading dock," he told her. There were two trucks unloading frozen lunches. There was a large ledge that led to the back door of the building and a ramp. He jumped onto the ledge farthest from the trucks and motioned for her to join him.

"Is it okay for us to be here?" she asked.

"Does it matter?" he replied.

Kira shrugged and joined him.

"I come here when I wanna be alone," he told her, swinging his legs back and forth.

"Then why'd you bring me here?" she asked, looking over at him. His long hair hung over his face, hiding his features from view, only his nose poked through.

"I don't know," he said after a long pause. He reiterated the question over and over in his head and still couldn't come up with an answer that sounded right.

They sat together in a comfortable silence, speaking every once in a while.

"The bell is gonna ring soon," he announced. "I guess I'll see you later then?"

She nodded and watched as he gracefully jumped down from the ledge. She looked down in fear, not remembering how she got up.

He reached both hands out to her and she bashfully took them.

"Jump, I'll catch you," he said. She frowned and looked at him doubtfully. "I promise I wont let you fall." The words rang on in kira's ears and she closed her eyes and slipped off the ledge. He pulled her into his arms and steadied her on her feet. She slowly opened her eyes to find that his hands were still on her waist. She blushed and he quickly let her go.

They both walked their separate ways, a bit bemused by their emotions.

The rest of her classes dragged on like nails being scraped against a blackboard. She could have jumped for joy when she heard the last bell ring. She walked outside her classroom and then headed down the hall with her head pointed downwards as usual. She saw Rei's pants and looked up at him as he approached, surrounded by his usual group of friends. They watched each other as they continued to walk nearer. Both were waiting to see if the other was going to wave or greet them.

"Do you know her? Ick she's looking at you funny," said the girl with the short blonde hair.

"Of course he didn't," answered one of his friends.

"I bet you could get herpes from looking at her too long," said the other girl who linked arms with him playfully.

Kira was near enough to hear their comments and it crushed her. She was hoping that he'd be different than the others and he'd just proved her wrong. She expelled a deep sigh and continued out the door.

After a long walk home she went home to her ungrateful stepbrothers and father. She cooked chicken that one of them bought with her money and cleaned as much as she could before it got dark outside. She put on a very short pleated skirt and an oversized t-shirt that was cut so her midriff was exposed.

Business was unusually slow that night. She stood at her usual post for what seemed like hours and nobody stopped in front of her.

A car pulled up in front of her and her heart began to swell. She'd have hell to pay if she went home empty handed. The tinted window on her side rolled down only to reveal Rei Kashino sitting in the drivers seat.

Her eyes grew wide with surprise. "What are you doing here?" he asked him, his beautiful face almost made her forget why she was angry with him.

"I wanted to talk to you and I figured that I'd find you here," he said, unlocking the doors. "Get in."

"I'm working, I can't" she said, as coldly as she could muster.

"It'll only be a minute, I promise," he pleaded. "Just get in, you don't have to say anything, just listen."

Against her better judgment she opened the door and slid in beside him.

"Do you want to go somewhere, are you hungry?" he asked her.

"You promised me that you'd only take a minute," she said. curtly.

"In the hallway I think that some things were erm,... misinterpreted. I couldn't get it off my mind so I wanted to... I dunno, straighten things out I guess," he said drumming his fingers on the dashboard.

"I don't think that there was anything to misinterpret. I saw you coming down the hallway, you saw me- a friend asked if we knew each other and another said no," she told him.

"And I didn't correct him, okay I get why you're so angry," he interrupted.

"There was nothing to correct. We don't know each other. I have to go, I think it would be best if we both forgot that any of this ever happened," she said, placing her hand on the door handle.

"No," he said, reaching out and placing his hand over hers. "Maybe I don't know you now, but I want the chance to get to know you better. I already know you better than anyone else at school right? I know you're name is Kira, how shy you can be sometimes, I also know that you're not just some slutty whore," he insisted.

"That's not true, that's exactly what I am," she said, her voice quavering. "Look at me, look at what I'm wearing. I'm a whore, I do whatever men want for money."

"Then be mine for the night," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of cash. Without counting he handed it to her. "If you don't want to do it for me then do it for the cash."

She looked at him strangely. "Fine," she said, she needed the money any ways.

He smiled and started the car. He drove up to the next intersection and looked over a her. "So where do you want to go?" he asked her.

"It's your night, you choose," she replied.

"'Kay, if that's the way you want it," he said. "Hmmm... I'm hungry. Let's go to a dinner," he said after thinking for a moment.

They drove until they pulled into the parking lot of an old fashioned diner. "This is it," he said as he undid his seat belt and took the key out of the ignition. He ot out and opened the door for Kira, surprising her with his actions.

"Thank you," she said after getting over her initial shock. She followed him up the stairs and through the door.

"You wanna pick the seats?" he asked.

"It doesn't really matter," she replied.

He let out a frustrated sigh and then walked over to a corner booth.

Minutes after they sat down a waitress offered them menus and recited the diner's specials.

Kira held the menu up and quickly scanned the beverages, sandwiches, side orders and soups[s. There was so much that she was having trouble deciding. The last thing she ate was the horrible school lunch at noon and she was starving.

Rei put his menu on the side when he was through choosing what he'd order and looked across at Kira.. All he could see were her fingers clasped around the sides of the menu and the wisps of her hair at the top. "Have you decided what you'll order yet?" he asked her.

She put her menu aside and answered, "A cheese burger combo with a chocolate milk shake. How about you?"

"Waffles, sausage and orange juice," he told her.

"Breakfast so early?" she questioned.

"They serve both breakfast and dinner twenty for hours a day. Breakfast's my favorite meal any ways so yeah," he explained.

"May I take your orders?" croaked the aged waitress. She reached out with wrinkled fingers and took their menus/

They both ordered and watched as she disappeared behind the kitchen doors.

Kira nervously looked at her lap and pondered to herself if this would be considered a date. She wasn't quite sure, but it had to mean something if he'd spend a night he could have spent partying out with friends with her at this diner.

"What's your last name?" he asked her, breaking the numbing silence between them.

"Aso," she answered. "Yours is Kashino right?"

"Yeah, he replied, the awkward feeling of not knowing what to say returning. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?" he asked.

"There isn't much to tell," she told him shyly.

"Aww, come on there has to be something. Music, hobbies, favorite color, come on tell me anything," he urged her.

"Well, when I was younger I used to paint and draw," she told him.

His face lit up and he leaned in towards her. "I knew that there was something I liked about you!" he exclaimed.

"Huh? What?" she asked, severely confused by his reaction.

"My brother, he painted all the time," he then chuckled. "That was pretty much all he ever did," he added.

"You have a brother!?" she didn't know that. If he did she was sure that he'd be just as good looking and popular as Rei.

His joyous expression was replaced by a glum one. "Had, he died two years ago," he said

A hand flew up to her mouth and she gasped. "I'm so sorry to hear about that."

"Yeah well, that's the way he wanted it," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked, not understanding what he was telling her,

"My twin brother Sei killed himself two years ago," he said in a voice so cold and unfeeling it sent chills up Kira's spine.

Kira hung her head low, after that confession she didn't know what to say that would sound appropriate.

"I;ve ruined the mood haven't I?" he asked with a laugh. "I'm sorry. So you used to paint. I used to race motorcycles," he told her.

She smiled, this came of no surprise at all to her. His playboy image, fast cars, and popularity and charm went perfectly with the racing. "Why did you stop?" he asked him.

"You tell me why you stopped first," he said.

She frowned slightly, remembering being one of the many things she lost when her father died. "When I was little I drew like crazy and my father liked it. He would frame and hang every one of my paintings in his office and call me his little artist. He promised to send me to art school right after high school so that my paintings would be in museums and art galleries," she explained.

"So what happened?" he asked.

"He died in a car accident and my mother remarried a year later," she told him.

"Wow, that sucks. Is your step father a decent man?" he asked her.

"He's okay i guess. I have no choice other than to like him, He's all that I've got now that my mother's gone too," she said.

"How'd she die?" he asked.

"Natural causes, she had a bad heart and didn't take enough time for herself," she said.

"Does your stepfather know that you're here?" he questioned.

"He's the reason I am here," she answered quietly.

"Are you fucking kidding me? What a slime ball! How can he pimp his stepdaughter and allow his sons to slap her around. Does he have a job, his sons work?" he asked.

"No, only me," she said.

He stared at her in disbelief. "Wow," was all he could say. He would have never thought that this was the reason she prostituted herself. He saw her in an entirely new light now.

The food came and they ate in silence. Afterwards the waitress returned, took their plates and delivered the check.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her.

She nodded to followed him back to the car.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, turning to look at her. Her delicate features illuminated by the faint streetlight.

She glanced over at the clock on the stereo, it read 1 am. It would be great to get a decent night's sleep. "Could you take me home?" she asked.

His face faltered. "Why? It's not late, did you have a bad time?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I had a great time with you tonight. It's better than what I had planned any ways," she said, shocking him with a joke.

He followed her directions and then stopped at a corner at her request.

"Is this it?" he asked her.

"Um, I can walk from here," she told him.

"Wait, why? I might as well drive you there," he said.

"No, it's okay. I'd rather you didn't," she told him.

"If anything happened to you on the way home I'd feel terrible," Rei complained.

"Don't. Nobody else will," she told him matter of factly.

"That's not true," he said softly, reaching out and stroking her injured cheek gently. He leaned forward until he was so close that his warm breath tickled her nose.

She closed her eyes in anticipation and then his phone rang.

"I guess I'll see you later then," he said.

She nodded and got out of the car. He watched her walk down the street and he looked down at the phone that cost him a kiss.

Author's Note- Yay, what a long chapter eh? We're glad that's over right? They're finally getting closer, More fluff maybe in the next chapter. Remember to review, 'tis very important.


	4. What May Never Be

Disclaimer- If I owned Mars I wouldn't be writing this.

After watching Kira disappear down the block Rei rolled up his windows and used a button on his dashboard to get the roof up on his car. The neighborhood he was in wasn't one he drove in frequently, and it was beyond what he'd call shady. The last thing he wanted was to end the semi-beautiful night by being robbed. After thinking this he chuckled to himself. Semi-beautiful? He just paid a hooker to go to a diner with him. Bizarre was more like it. Rei began to wonder to himself exactly what he was getting himself into with Kira. The light changed from red to green and he sped off down the dark rode, the feet in front of him illuminated only by his headlights.

He found himself in his driveway soon enough and staggered into his living compartment behind his father's mansion. Rei was starved of sleep and for once he wanted nothing more than to feel the soft down filled pillow underneath his cheek. When he got to his front door he was surprised to find that it was unlocked, with caution he swung the door open and turned on the lights. His heart almost jumped into his throat and out of his mouth when he saw his father sitting on his bed.

"What the fuck? You almost gave me a heart attack. Couldn't you have left a note or something if you had something to say to me?" Rei muttered angrily as he took off his white sneakers and left them at the door. He headed for the bathroom but his father was a step ahead of him and blocked his entrance. "Come on, it's late we can do whatever it is you're here for later 'kay?" Rei said as he tried to step around his father's frame, which was rather massive considering that his father was sixty.

"I called you an hour ago and you hung up," his father replied sternly, Rei could tell just how hard he was trying to conceal his anger by the way the vein stuck out of his temple.

"Oh that... I must have lost your signal," Rei said flatly, it was obvious that he was lying.

"Bullshit, what did I tell you about walking in so damn late all the time?" his father asked Rei in his gruff voice as he scratched his salt and pepper beard angrily.

Rei rolled his eyes and fixed his attention on the Maxim magazine on the floor as he tried to drone out the voice of his father, knowing all too well what lecture his father was leading up to.

"You need to start taking responsibility for your life. Don't you ever want to amount to anything? You get to school late, cut classes, park in the teacher's parking lot, party all night, do no work... Where do you expect this road to take you? If Sei were here I doubt you would have gotten this out of control. You were so much easier to handle when your brother was around," he was cut off by Rei.

"Well Sei's not here, and who's fault is that?" Rei asked cryptically as he shoved his father out of his way, slid into his bathroom and slammed the door. He undressed quickly, dropping his t-shirt, undershirt, boxers and jeans on the marble floor. He then turned on the water in his shower, worked the handle for a few moments until the temperature of the water was just right and got in. His anger towards his father slowly dissipated as the warm water poured over his body. He grabbed the shampoo, washed his hair quickly and then stepped out of the shower, using a towel to dry himself. Rei stepped into his bedroom naked and looked to his drawer and thought about finding a pair of pajama's and then he remembered that he hadn't done laundry in a long time and decided to do without. Before jumping into bed he set his alarm for once.

The next morning at seven Rei awoke to the harsh screeching of his alarm clock, making him regret setting it in the first place. He quickly blinked the sleep out of his eyes and slapped the alarm clock off of his night table before getting out of bed to take a shower. His shower didn't last long and when he was through he yanked on the first clean pair of underwear, t-shirt and jeans he found and put them on. When he was through dressing for school he smoothed over his bed sheets and smiled to himself when he thought about how proud the house keeper would be when she saw how neat his room was, well it was neater than it had been in a long time. He looked around his room quickly, put his simple and unusually light black jansport on his back and headed outside to his car. He got in and rolled down the windows and top down. The sweet morning air gently ruffled his hair, giving him the carefree look all the girls at school fell in love with. Rei arrived at school quicker than usual, due to the lack of traffic that morning.

As he parked his car in the student section of the school parking lot he glanced at the time on the dashboard. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, he was five minutes early for his first class instead of the usual twenty five minutes late for his second class. A cold wave of nervousness washed over him, being early meant that he'd have to go to Mr. Takemura's class, a class he hadn't been to in ages. He knew that Mr. Takemura would yell at him and that was the last thing he needed after being yelled at by his father last night. Reluctantly he pulled the key out of the ignition, locked up his car, and walked to class. By the time he got there only five people, besides the teacher were there. He glanced around and saw not one familiar face. He grimaced, only geeks got to school early. Rei walked to the back of the classroom and took a seat near the window, he could feel Mr. Takemura's cold glare on him the entire time.

Rei took out a thin notebook from his mostly empty bookbag and doodled on the first page as he waited for more people to show up. The first bell rang and Tatsuya entered the classroom twenty seconds later. Rei saw the surprise on Tatsuya's face when they locked eyes.

"Hey man, wow, you're early," Tatsuya said as he looked at his watch dramatically. "You're not due here for another half hour."

Rei shrugged. "I tried the whole alarm thing and it worked," he answered.

"You should try the _alarm thing_ more often then," Tatsuya told him with a smile. He took a seat next to Rei . "Where were you last night? The gang and I were expecting you at the club. Sonoko and Ling actually waited at the door for you the entire night."

Rei let out a snort. "Wow... they really need lives. You should hook them up with some of your basketball friends," he suggested playfully.

"They've been in love with you since like freshman year. You should do the decent thing and go out with one of them" Tatsuya said, acting the part of father again.

"Yeah I thought about that, really I did. However if I dated Sonoko, Ling would be furious and if I dated Ling, Sonoko would be heartbroken. I'm doing the right thing by stringing them both along. I'm trying to save a friendship," Rei teased.

Tatsuya shook his head. "You're helpless."

The late bell rang and Mr. Takemura got out of his seat and walked to the front of the chalk board and got ready to start teaching. "I trust that you all read the short modernist story I assigned last night," he said in the cold and condescending voice he always used to address his students. After watching the students nod he wrote an aim on the board. "Look who decided to grace us with his presence, Rei Kashino," Mr. Takemura said as he opened his arms as if he expected Rei to get up and bow. "Since you've been so kind as to join us I'll allow you to answer the first question from the homework assignment.

Rei stared back at Mr. Takemura blankly and fought the blush of embarassment creeping up on his face. He glanced to Tatsuya quickly hoping that he'd find a way to give him the answer. Tatsuya only frowned at Rei's helplessness.

"Ah, you'll see Rei Kashino, being handsome, rich and popular wont get you everywhere," Mr. Takemura said with a cruel smile.

"Look at where being ugly, poor and lonely got you," Rei muttered, just loud enough to get the people around him to hear and snicker.

Mr. Takemura glared at him once more before turning his back once more to the board to write down that days notes.

Rei couldn't concentrate for the rest of the class. He glanced outside the window and looked down at the rolling lawn of the school campus. He envied the people outside and wished that he could be free of the classroom he was in. He began to tap his fingers against the desk to the tune of the catchy song he listened to on the way to school. Rei tried to ignore the small voice of reason in his mind that told him that Mr. Takemura was right. Being handsome, rich and popular wasn't going to get him everywhere especially since his father was beginning to threaten him with being cut off completely if he didn't get his act together.

The bell finally rang thirty minutes later and Rei and Tatsuya dashed out of the classroom only to find Sonoko and Ling waiting outside for them.

"Hi Rei," they chirped at the same time.

Rei glanced from one to the other and struggled to remember which one was who. Was Sonoko the one with the strangely large breasts and bleach blonde hair, or was she the one with green contacts and crimped jet black hair. It took too much energy to figure it out so he smiled a hello at both.

"Have you heard about the spring dance? I was thinking that it would like totally be lots of fun if we went together," the one with blond hair said as she flipped it over her shoulder flirtatiously.

"If you really want to have fun you'll go with me not Sonoko," Ling said as she smiled at Rei and linked arms with him.

"I'm sorry girls but I don't do dances," Rei said nonchalantly as they walked down the hall one on either side of him.

"Ugh, why is that nobody looking at you. I swear she's a total stalker," Sonoko said as she gave the girl the dirtiest look she could muster.

Rei glanced over at the water fountain to see Kira looking at him with a look of disappointment. He could only imagine the thoughts going through her head as she watched him stroll to class with two beautiful girls on either side hanging on his every word. He wondered if he'd ever be able to break out of his playboy jock mold and prove to Kira that he was different. Though he often denied it he'd rather hang out with her than be surrounded by the desperate girls he usually spent time with.

"Hey why don't you meet us at the karaoke bar tonight?" Sonoko asked as she slowed in front of Rei's next class.

"Ok, why not," he said quickly as he glanced back at the water fountain only to see that Kira was gone. He frowned a bit and then waved goodbye to his friends and entered his class and prepared for another mind numbing class.

The next few classes dragged on like riding a camel across the Sahara. Rei almost jumped for joy when the last bell sounded. He thought about how proud his father would be to find out that he attended all of his classes that day and almost snorted out loud. He quickly walked to his car, started it and drove home to get some sleep and get ready for the long night ahead of him.

Rei unzipped his leather bikers jacket as he entered the karaoke bar. The air was thick and musky from all the smoking and bright neon lights scanned the floors from above. This was the favorite hang out spot of his friends. To be honest he never really liked it there, he always left with a banging head ache. He walked over to their usual booth and sat down at the edge.

"Hey Rei," Tatsuya said cheerfully as he raised his drink and put an arm around his girlfriend Harumi. "You're just in time Lilly is just about to sing some Brittany," he added jovially.

Lilly shook her head vehemently and blushed profusely. "Nope, I think it was Hina who volunteered before me," she said shyly.

Harumi looked over at Lilly and smiled. "There's no need to get all shy in front of Rei," she teased. It was Lilly's first time going to the karaoke bar with them.

Hina shrugged, took the microphone and began to sing along passionately to the pop tune the machine belted out. Her high pitched screeching sent lightening bolts of pain to Rei's head and he frowned inwardly. It was only a matter of time before all the girls started signing along to the Spice Girls and the boys to the Backstreet Boys. They all knew better than to ask Rei to sing.

Rei endured an hour of the torture and when he could take no more he tapped Tatsuya's shoulder and gave an excuse about being sick and left. He savored the fresh air outside and slowly drove to the next stop light. He glanced down at the clock on the dashboard and decided that it was too early to go home. Rei drove to where he knew Kira would be.

He pulled up at the corner where he normally saw her and was disappointed when he didn't see her. He kept his car there for a few minutes and soon enough saw Kira emerge from a navy blue car across the street. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and put the few bills the man gave her in her handbag. He watched as she crossed the street, noting how her head hung low. She looked up and stopped in the middle of the street when she saw his car. She slowly got over her surprise and continued across the street.

He rolled down the window on her side and unlocked the door. "Hi," he said as he reached over to open the door for her.

Kira looked down at the door and back at him. "Rei..."

"Don't worry about it," he said as he took a wad of money out of his pocket. "I'll take care of your stepfather."

"You know how I feel about that," she said quietly as she shyly pulled down her mini skirt to a decent mid thigh length.

"You'd rather spend the rest of the night servicing low lives?" Rei asked her, coking one eyebrow. "Come on, please?"

She got into the car, how could she say no? She tightly held her legs together at her thighs and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Are you cold?" he asked her when he heard her teeth chatter. He looked at her and marveled at how shiny her blond hair was.

She nodded and he gave her his leather jacket at the next stop light and rolled up the windows. She marveled at how good the thick jacket felt against her bare skin and inhaled it's sweet smell. "Thank you." They drove on for a good ten minutes before she spoke again. "Where are we going?" she asked timidly.

"There's a really pretty spot I wanted to show you. It's elevated so you can see the Tokyo lights," he answered. He reached over and turned on the radio to a station that played calming jazz music to fill the silence.

"Jazz? I didn't picture you as the kind of guy who would listen to this kind of music," Kira mused aloud.

"I have my moments,"he answered with a smile.

Eventually they pulled into a lot surrounded by trees off the side of the road. Kira sat up straight and peered over the ledge and looked at the breathtaking view of the bright lights. "This is the closest thing you can see to stars in Tokyo," Kira said.

"I know," Rei said. "I wouldn't have it any other way though. The tranquility of the countryside would kill me," he added.

"I wouldn't mind the peacefulness of the country," she replied. "Thank you for coming, I really do enjoy your company," she told him. At the moment he was the only friend she had.

"I like spending time with you too," Rei replied as he reclined his seat so that he was staring at the roof of his car.

"But why here?" she asked slowly with a doubtful expression on her face.

"What do you mean?" he asked looking over at her.

"You had a thousand opportunities to approach me at school but you didn't..." she explained. "Is this all we'll ever be, me sneaking off with you at night and you paying me for the company?" she asked him. "I'm not complaining... just asking," she added quickly feeling as though she had no right to say any of it in the first place.

Rei sighed and looked off in the other direction. "I don't know," he answered, knowing that Kira would be hurt by this answer.

Kira's lower lip trembled and she sunk lower in her chair gazed out the window sadly. She began to ponder if this was all she was worth.

Author's Note- I'm sorry for not updating sooner, I had a lot of work to do at school. No I haven't forgotten about my other stories. I'll finish them by the end of this summer hopefully. Please review.


	5. Suspicious Behavior

To the Readers- I'm sorry that I haven't been updating my stories much but I've been really busy with school, but now that it's summer I should be able to update frequently. Remember to review as soon you're done reading!

Chapter 5- Suspicious Behavior

Rei took the long way home that night. As he drove down the deserted streets of Tokyo with the hood of his corvette down he began to think that going to see Kira that night was a terrible idea. She barely spoke to him and asked to be taken home far earlier than usual. Although he was tempted to pass off her antisocial behavior as a mood swing he knew that it was because of what he said, or what he didn't say. She wanted commitment, which was something he wasn't ready to give to anyone, especially not her. Were they even friends? If so, it certainly was a strange friendship, usually one doesn't have to pay for a friend's company. Why did he even go to see her at night instead of spending time with her at school? It was probably because he didn't want men using her and he was still too embarrassed to be seen with her at school. All that thinking gave him a headache and so he stopped thinking of her and began to think about his upcoming track competition.

He arrived at his father's mansion two hours before his father requested that he be home, much to Rei's dismay. He considered going back out but observed that he was low on gas and since he was too lazy to go to the gas station he went to his living quarters and prepared for bed. The extra sleep would do him some good.

For a change he woke up well rested when his alarm clock sounded the next morning. He stretched his arms over his head and got out of bed, taking a moment to push his shoulder length blonde hair out of his face. He took a quick shower and then washed his face and brushed his teeth before pulling on black boxer briefs, faded denim jeans and a white Gap t-shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror on the back of his bathroom door and ruffled his damp blonde hair for the carefree look he desired. For the first time in a few days he packed his gym bag, he slacked off a lot in track the last few days and knew that he'd be hassled by the coach after school that day.

When all his things were together he got into his car and got a few gallons of gas before driving to school. Since he got there early he parked in a regular student's parking spot near the gymnasium. By the time he got inside the building there were only five minutes left to the first bell. He stopped by his locker and put his gym bag in there. Unlike most students Rei had no textbooks in his locker, so he didn't have any trouble finding space for his gym clothes.

"Yo, what's up Rei? How are you feeling? You left the karaoke place really early last night," Tatsuya said from behind him.

"I'm better now, I took some aspirin and went to bed early," Rei told him.

"Are you going to track practice today? The coach has been asking about you and the other guys are getting antsy. You've missed three days this week!" Tatsuya said, giving him a worried look.

"Yeah yeah I'll be there today. I don't know why Coach Ito gets so pissed when I don't come to practice. I don't need really need it. He should be making Shoji stay an extra hour everyday instead of pissing and moaning about the days I forget to come," Rei complained as he followed Tatsuya to their first class.

"I know why Rei's been missing our practices!" called a booming voice from behind Rei and Tatsuya.

Rei turned around to see Shoji standing behind them in the center of the hallway with his hands on his sides defiantly. Rei raised an eyebrow in anticipation of what would come next. Shoji had been at Rei's neck for months all because Rei slept with his girlfriend Ai while she was dating Shoji.

"Really? So you're stalking me now huh?" Rei asked cooly as he walked over to Shoji.

"You'd know all about stalking now wouldn't you?" Shoji said as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black hoody.

"What are you getting at?" Rei asked impatiently. A crowd of students began to gather around them anticipating a fight between the two.

"Come on Rei, let's just go," Tatsuya said urgently, hoping that Rei would stop before things escalated but knew that Rei would never back down.

"Nothing, just me and my boys spotted you paying a whore for sex in the city. It's sad when someone's slept with just about everyone in school and has to go to prostitutes for sex," Shoji said causing murmurs to erupt in the crowd. "Now who's the lucky lady you've been seeing every night for the past few days? She looks familiar... I think her name's..."

"She's your mother," Rei interrupted. "Tell her last night wasn't as good as it usually is. I'd like my money back," he said causing the crowd to erupt with laughter.

Shoji's naturally tan face grew red with embarrassment from the base of his neck to his hair line. He lunged at Rei without warning, an insult like the one Rei just dished out couldn't go unpunished. They went at it like lions fighting over a gazelle. Shoji delivered a punch to Rei's temple that made his ears ring. Rei fought to get on top of Shoji and then began to punch him in the jaw until his arms grew tired and then Shoji once more got on top of Rei. Shoji began to knock Rei's head against the floor but only managed to do so three times before Rei kicked him hard in the shin and punched him so hard that it sent Shoji stumbling backwards. Rei attempted to go at it once more but was stopped by the strong arms of the school security guard.

"Again Kashino? I thought after the school spoke to your father you'd get your act together?" the security guard muttered as he dragged the fuming boy into the infirmary.

"Shoji started it!" Rei insisted as he shrugged off the guard's hold on his arm and walked into the nurse's office on his own.

"I'm beginning to think that you're getting into fights on purpose just so that you can see Mr. Kashino," the nurse said playfully. Rei climbed on top of the nearest bed. He almost chuckled at this, maybe he would have made a pass at her five years ago but she was a bit over thirty and it was beginning to show.

She walked over with an ice pack wrapped in a damp towel and gave him a glass of water and aspirin. "You better stay here until lunch time. Hopefully the swelling will go down before the end of the day," she told him.

Rei simply nodded in response. He'd been in this position several times this year and knew that the swelling would go down after a couple of days and not at the end of the day. Although he got a lot of sleep that night he still managed to doze off despite of how thin the mattress was.

He woke up from his light slumber when he felt a small hand on his head. When he opened his eyes the girl jumped away from him in surprise.

"Kira? What are you doing here?" he asked her while pulling himself into a sitting position.

She watched him toss his ice packs onto the cabinet next to his bed. "I... I was there when you had your fight and I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I figured that this was where you'd be so I uh came to visit," she said. She fidgeted with the large buttons on her beige cardigan while she waited for his answer.

"Does the nurse know you're here?" Rei asked.

"No, she's out to lunch for an hour," Kira answered. She reached out slowly and ran her hand down his face ever so gently. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be, Shoji's had it out for me for ages. If it wasn't about this he would have picked a fight about something else. Besides, getting into a fight boosts my popularity, especially since I won," he joked. He tried to smile but the side of his face was swollen from being punched so it hurt to move his mouth too much.

"Okay, well now that I see that you're fine I suppose I can leave now," she said with a little sadness in her voice. She slowly stepped away from his bed and turned for the door.

"Wait, things didn't end quite right last night and I've been thinking about what you said. It's hard for me to admit this but, you were right and I was wrong. I was going about our err... friendship, if I could call it that; the wrong way. It must have been really demeaning for you to be paid for your company instead of being approached normally or whatever. I wont do it again because I," he paused and looked deeply into her large brown eyes as if he was pondering whether or not he should go on. "I like you Kira, and I shouldn't care about what anybody else thinks about it."

This left Kira speechless. She often told herself that Rei only came by to see her because he was bored, but never because he had feelings for her.

"Would you like to go to Friday's dance with me?" he asked her a bit shyly. He'd never asked a girl out to a dance before, usually he was asked out by girls so he didn't have much experience in the asking out department.

Kira was much taken aback by this, she'd never been asked out to a school function before. "You want me to go with you? B..b...but I don't have a dress, it's at night and you know the situation with my father, and I can't dance and-"

"It doesn't matter, today after practice we'll go buy you a dress. About your father... I came up with an alternative if you're willing to try it," Rei said, scooting over on the bed so that Kira could sit next to him.

She slid her bag off of her back and sat down next to him. They sat really close to each other because the bed was relatively small. The heat she felt radiating off of his body made her blush. She said okay and he continued.

"My father owns a few McDonald franchises nearby and he's looking for workers for the afternoon shift. You'd go after school and at night so that your stepfather doesn't get suspicious you could chill at my house," he suggested.

Kira all of a sudden felt insecure. "Me? A real job? I have no experience and after school everyone from school would be there and everyone hates me... I don't think I can do it. My father takes his money every night and the job would pay me every month. I don't think it'll work out Rei."

He paused, he hadn't thought about how she'd pay her father every night. "I'll see if I can work something out with my father about that. The idea overall was good though right?" he asked.

She smiled brightly at him, the first real smile she delivered in a long time. "The idea is perfect. Thank you for caring," she said happily.

Rei smiled back and kissed her gently on the lips, careful not to hurt his swollen cheek. When her lips didn't respond to his kiss he pulled away. She was blushing profusely. Rei began to laugh, which only made Kira more embarrassed.

"I've um, I've never kissed anyone before," Kira said quietly.

"Never? Really... but... um... then-" he stammered, not quite sure how to ask the question without offending Kira. How does one ask how you can be a prostitute and manage to never have been kissed.

"I don't kiss them. For some reason kissing seems to be more personal than, well you know," she explained nervously.

"I thought you reacted like that because of how disfigured I am! Of all places to punch me why my face? Why!" he cried out dramatically as he clutched his face in his hands and pretended to sob.

Kira laughed at his antics and cast him a sideways glance and a smile. "You're still beautiful to me," she said. Even with his eyes black and blue and a swollen cheek she still felt the urge to paint him.

"Really?" he asked as he watched her closely as if he'd be able to see her reasoning through her eyes.

She nodded. "I'd like to paint you some day. You're aura, the energy you give off... it's beautiful and it makes you beautiful; even when your face is disfigured," she said, smiling when she said the last bit.

He placed a warm hand on either side of her face and leaned in to kiss her again. This time she was more prepared and responded. He pulled away and smiled at her, she was blushing yet again. "Are you going to do that every time I kiss you?" he asked her playfully. That only made her blush even more. "You should get going, class is going to start soon. Wait for me after school and we'll go get you a dress and then I'll introduce you to my father so that you can get a job," he told her.

She nodded appreciatively and said goodbye before she left the nurses' office.

Rei laid back down on his bed with a smug smile on his face. His hear swelled with happiness for the first time in ages. It was amazing how cool a dance seemed when he actually had somebody he wanted to go with. He wondered for a moment how his friend Tatsuya might respond to this but then repeated to himself that he didn't care and banished all negative thoughts from his mind. He pictured Kira's perfect face in his mind and then floated off into another peaceful slumber.

The nurse woke him up when school was about to end and he made his way to the gymnasium.

"Yo!" called a loud voice from behind him.

"Tatsuya, hey!" Rei replied before turning around. When he did turn around he saw Tatsuya and his girlfriend Harumi walking towards him.

"Wow, Shoji messed you up pretty badly today," Tatsuya commented.

Harumi hurried over to Rei to further examine his wounds. Rei noted how much make-up Harumi wore and almost grimaced, the dark eyeliner, rouge blush, and shining lip gloss didn't make her anymore attractive. "Aww, what was the fight about?" Harumi asked Rei.

Tatsuya busied himself with fixing the collar of his dark blue polo shirt while he awaited Rei's answer. A large part of him thought that Shoji's accusations were accurate, Rei had been acting strangely lately. His night time activities were probably to blame.

"The usual, Shoji was talking a lot of shit so I had to teach him a lesson," Rei said cooly.

"Oh yeah Rei, Coach told me to tell you to rest up tonight. I guess that just about everybody's heard about your fight with Shoji," Tatsuya said with a shrugg. "You're so lucky, Shoji's still has to go to practice today."

"He started it, it's like punishment I guess. The bell's gonna ring in a few right?" Rei asked. Tatsuya sensed how eager he was to leave.

"Yeah, why?" Harumi asked inquisitively. "You know, your two lovers... you know the blonde and dark haired girls? They think you have some secret girlfriend. With the way you've been ducking out on us everynight I'm starting to think the same thing... " Harumi asked. By this time Rei was already sprinting down the hallway. "So who is she?" she asked herself in a voice barely above a whisper.


	6. I Don't if You Don't

Author's Note: I know it's literally been forever and a day since I last updated and I'll be surprised if any of the original readers still have their eye out for this chapter. Things have been insanely busy and this chapter is rather short but I'll finish the story eventually .

Kira's knee bounced nervously as she avidly watched the clock above the chalkboard during her algebra class. It was the last class of the day and she was anxious to meet up with Rei after school to buy her dress for the dance. Since the bell would ring in two minutes she quietly put her pencil and pen back in her pencil case and closed her book, hoping that the teacher wouldn't notice. As she packed her things away she wondered how Rei could ask her to such a formal thing, all Rei's friends would be there. She knew that they wouldn't approve of her and didn't think that she was worth Rei's popularity. She became so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear when the bell rang and was the last one to scurry out of the classroom.

Rei was standing right next to her classroom waiting for her with a lopsided smile. "Are you ready to go?" he asked her as he gestured for her to hand him her book bag.

"You don't have to, you're probably still sore from your fight today," Kira said as she readjusted her book bag on her back.

"Don't worry about it, I feel fine. Tylenol works wonders," he said with what would have been a grin if his cheek wasn't so swollen. He took the bag from her anyways, despite her weak protests. "So, is there a place you had in mind?" he asked her while they made their way to his car.

"No, I was hoping that you would..." she said, letting her voice trail off when she noticed how many eyes were on them. Her cheeks grew very hot and she glared at the pavement as she walked. She glanced up at Rei, he was walking as he always did. She assumed that he was accustomed to having all eyes on him, but she wasn't, and it made her feel awfully uncomfortable. She silently wished that a large black hole would open up on the floor she walked on and would swallow her up so that everyone would stop looking at her. She grimaced when she imagined how many more eyes would be upon them when they entered the school's gymnasium during the dance.

Kira looked up curiously when she felt Rei tugging at her hand. "What's wrong?" Rei asked her wrinkling his brow in worry.

"Oh!" she replied and then let out a small embarrassed giggle. She hadn't even realized that she stopped walking. "Nothing's wrong... Rei... do you really want to go to this dance with me tonight?" she asked tilting her head to the side and silently hoping that he would changer his mind.

"Well yeah, that's why I asked you to go with me. Don't you want to go?" he asked her as he dropped her hand.

She watched as her hand fell to her side and then looked back up at his cerulean eyes and then looked back at her feet and shuffled them from side to side. "I don't think I'm feeling well," she lied.

"You seemed fine earlier... I know you're in no rush to get home either. If you don't want to go just say so Kira. I wont hold it against you." There was a harshness in his voice that was urging Kira to make a decision, something she rarely had to do.

"Can we do something else tonight?" she finally said.

"Okay," he said as he got closer to her and put his arm around her and started to steer her towards his car again. "I always thought that school dances were lame anyways."

Kira smiled and breathed in deep, taking in the scent of him and relishing the feeling of his warm body against his. As long as she had that she could deal with the harsh glances from everyone else at school and her family.


End file.
